The desperate teenager tried to hide inside of a bodega, but the gang members dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death as security cameras recorded the gruesome scene. Once that video was out, it took on a life of its own causing the defendants to lose the presumption of innocence and any chance for a fair trial (at least that close in time to the event itself under one year. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. News and analysis from this company could be a game-changer for legal professionals working globally. At Least Your Colleague Spat Wasnt This Bad: Some things we just dont share with the class. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence., Lesandros mother, Leandra Feliz said, Im not going to have my son back, but those killers, those murderers, theyre not going to be outside killing another kid.. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. THE BRONX As they rested their case in the "Junior" murder trial Friday, prosecutors turned to the medical examiner who performed the teen's autopsy, offering graphic detail of the wound that. On his way there, Junior was in touch with this friend, who lives on Adams Place and who, according to our reporting, is not in a gang, either. Seeing his sons clothing proved too much to bear for Juniors father, Lesandro Guzman, who left the courtroom shortly after Oikawas testimony. After that, they will lead off summations. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. The teen wanted to be a police. Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps, MACHETE MONSTERS GUILTY.. I dont want to see it again. After Junior was stabbed outside the Bronx bodega, he is seen in surveillance video clutching his neck and attempting to run to the nearby hospital, where he eventually collapsed on a sidewalk and bled to death. Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. Dixons closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Felizs neck which reportedly killed him. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Some Trinitarios took orders from Mr. Suero, whom they called Santa Claus, according to Mr. Alvarez and Michael Reyes, who also testified for the prosecution. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Last Friday, five men were convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz in June 2018. Officers were called to a . In a panic, he tries to hide behind the counter. Junior gestures for someone to call 911. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who went by the nickname Junior, was a member of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program before he was killed last year. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. Is that why Junior was targeted? The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". But the glee I saw in the eyes of spectators at the reading of straight convictions for Murder I was not founded. The panel found all five guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. The defense will have a chance Monday to call witnesses to the stand if they chose. Meanwhile a number of Bronx businesses are learning to be 'safe havens' for people in danger after a bodega owner was criticized for not doing enough 'Junior', who was killed outside his store. Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. UPDATE! Just two days before Junior was killed, a 14-year-old was seriously injured in this attack. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. The trial also included shocking revelations, including when it was learned that the self-proclaimed gang member who testified against the other five alleged Trinitarios members on trial could get off because of his testimony. Theyre believed to have targeted Guzman-Feliz because they believed he was affiliated with a rival gang responsible for shooting one of their members two days earlier. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. The incident revealed the barbaric tactics of a gang called the Trinitarios, and it laid bare a glaring paradox: Amid historically low crime rates in New York, police are still struggling to contain brutal violence in some neighborhoods. She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. Dr. Rodriguez also said it was possible Junior may have survived if brought to the hospital sooner. The OCME said Wednesday the teens death in the Belmont area of the Bronx was a stab wound to the neck, and classified the death as a homicide. Only by addressing these issues might other young men like Junior not be killed, and still others like four of the five defendants in this case, not be condemned to life in prison for the actions of a few seconds done by a fellow gang member which they never intended. Heres How To Get Yours Right. Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Martin Goldberg, defense attorney for Jose Muniz who once cried in court during his arraignment said his client was made the poster boy for Juniors horrific death, because Muniz was seen carrying a machete. The trial, now in its fourth week, has been checkered with drama, with Juniors mom at one point screaming and sobbing in court in response to grisly CCTV footage shown of her sons murder. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. Mr. Reyes said the conflict started when two Sunset members joined the Bad Boys, angering a Sunset member who had gone to prison for a crime the two members had committed. It was Mr. Suero who had sent them out on June 20, 2018, armed with machetes and knives, to search for members of Sunset to attack, the two cooperating witnesses said. Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. Yes, he put the knife through his neck. The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. Carrion says the testimony that all of the other wounds were superficial and did not cause Juniors death may not help the defense as much as theyd like. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced the cause of death for slain teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. I didnt see the kid., 5 Convicted of Hacking Innocent Teenager Junior Guzman to Death, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/nyregion/lesandro-guzman-murder-trinitarios-verdict.html. The men punched and kicked Lesandro before dragging him out. The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, the Bronx district attorney, Darcel D. Clark, said. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. "Today's verdicts will not bring Junior back. It appeared from a video of the crime (caught from multiple angles) that each attacked him viciously. Select from premium Lesandro of the highest quality. 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My client, age 18 (and nine months, as the prosecutor liked to remind jurors), had joined a dangerous gang, the Trinitarios, and without the benefit of his mother, left behind in the Dominican Republic, made some very poor decisions that will now land him in jail probably for the rest of his life. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. It was very painful, Guzman told reporters in Spanish. A Trinitarios ringleader, Diego Suero, issued the order to his minions, who then mistook Guzman-Feliz for a rival when they stabbed him to death outside a bodega June 20, 2018, cooperating witness and gang member Michael Sosa Reyes, 20, told Bronx Supreme Court jurors. Sofia Henry also testified Thursday, telling jurors about photos she took on the night of the incident. The knife made it from the right side to the left, hit the muscle, hit the (jugular) vein, went behind the throat, hit the tissue on the back side of the mouth, Dr. Rodriguez said. The referrals are a nice bonus too! The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. Prosecutors introduced three clips of video. The murder was just as horrific. Hes at home with his mother. What could be put in place in their neighborhoods to substitute the pull of the gang? Sabathia. A New York prosecutor detailed how hard a 15-year-old tried to fight off a group of accused gang members as they allegedly stabbed him to death in front of a bodega last summer. Facing first-degree murder charges in Juniors death are alleged Trinitarios street gang members Antonio Rodriguez, Hernandez Santiago, Elvin Garcia, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Jos Muiz and Manuel Rivera. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. After a weeks-long trial filled with emotional testimonies, chilling revelations and graphic photos, the jury reached a verdict in the Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz murder trial. Dixon's closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Feliz's neck which reportedly killed him. Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here. But its too late. An order had come from Mr. Suero, he said: Go after Sunset you already know what you have to do., Mr. Reyes said he understood that to be an order to do any kind of damage. Video: EXCLUSIVE: Race faker Jessica Krug hailed Bronx bodega murder of 15-year-old Junior Guzman a 'revolutionary moment' because 'he wanted to be a cop' and mistakenly claimed he was . Instead of turning to police, he turned to the Trinitarios, who like him, shared a Dominican heritage. A jury began deliberating Thursday on the five mens fates. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? According to . The footage went viral and with it, rumor and speculation about why the 15-year-old boy known as Junior was singled out. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. All five defendants Antonio Santigo, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Estrella and Muniz were members of the Trinitarios gang. Then, Elvin Garcia, who police say is seen here wearing a mask. But he acted with intent to harm. Video footage was released on social media that showed the murder. Mr. Alvarez testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. Had Junior not been stabbed in the neck during the last seconds of the attack, he would have likely walked home barely injured except for abrasions to his body caused by being dragged out of the store and punched. Reyes said the order implied: If you have a gun, shoot it, if you a have a knife, you stab, if you have a machete, you use it.. It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. As Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a press conference following the verdict, Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence. Recommended Stories Deadline. MORE: Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder They pursued him in cars, mistaking the aspiring NYPD detective for a gangbanger because he supposedly resembled a known one. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps,. Blood was splattered on the floor and counter of Cruz & Chiki Deli on Bathgate Ave and 183rd St., the store Junior was dragged from as he desperately sought refuge from his attackers, the detective said. Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan used her time to go into detail about what the five defendants are accused of doing trapping Guzman at the Bronx bodega and hacking him to death with a machete. Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. Passersby try to help. Manuel enjoyed the Trinitarios parties, the hookah, the beads, the hand signs, the comradery, and fact that they had his back. They also argued their clients were pretending to stab Lesandro because gang leaders were watching the assault. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Guzman-Feliz for a rival when they stabbed him to death, Last defendant convicted in 2018 killing of Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, 5 gang members plead guilty to killing of Bronx teen, 16 members of violent Trinitarios gang charged with high-end NYC robberies in sweeping indictment, Two gang leaders convicted in murder of Junior Guzman-Feliz, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members, Juniors mom at one point screaming and sobbing in court. Diego Suero leaving the 48th Precinct in the Bronx. Brown said Janari became the 38th juvenile murdered in gun violence in Chicago in the first seven months of 2020. But Reyes told the court that he couldnt follow through with Sueros order after looking Junior in the face. But Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro clearly told the gang he wasnt Sunset. Police officials also have said Lesandro did not belong to a gang. She has not been back to court since. The murder of Lesandro, who went by the nickname Junior, was well documented on videotape from security cameras and the cellphones of witnesses, providing prosecutors with hard proof to support their case. The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn.

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